1. Field of the invention
This invention relates to a machine intended for automatically positioning and continuously feeding flat containers lying uniformly on one of their largest sides to a work station such a printing unit.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Machines for automatically positioning and feeding containers, such as bottles, are known from U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,295,659 (AIDLIN) and 4,681,209 (MARTI), for example. The first patent describes a machine in which a rotatable disc inclined with respect to the horizontal forms the bottom of a receptacle into which the containers or bottles which are to be sorted are loaded at random, and has at its periphery a plurality of openings adapted to receive and retain the containers or bottles for transporting them from a receiving zone to an unloading zone where they drop through a chute to be oriented or positioned, falling by gravity through a guideway, or chute, to be transported away by an associated device. The second patent referred to above describes a container positioning machine having a plurality of chutes mounted on a revolving drum below the bottom of the hopper integral with a rotatable disc assembly, the recesses for receiving the containers on the disc assembly being formed by detachable parts which are interchangeable with replacement parts to accommodate different shapes and sizes of containers being handled wherein the chutes are also removable and exchangeable with chutes of different sizes.
These machines are not entirely suitable for continuously feeding to a work station containers such as bottles, which are not round but are irregular and substantially oval shaped in cross section having substantially flat or wider sides and positioned lying on one of their wider or flat sides.